Chrysanthemum plant named `Flirtation`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Flirtation, characterized by its flat capitulum form; moderately vigorous and short growth habit; freely branching plant habit; small daisy-type inflorescences; soft pink ray florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andreferred to by the cultivar name Flirtation.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe inventor in Massey, Auckland, New Zealand. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new Chrysanthemum cultivars having a fastflowering response, desirable inflorescence colors, and good gardenperformance.

The new cultivar originated from a open pollination of the Chrysanthemumcultivar Magic Dream (not patented) as the female or seed parent withthe male or pollen parent which was either the Chrysanthemum cultivarMagic Sunset, Magic Dawn or Magic Garden (all nonpatented). The actualcrossing was effected by pollinating insects.

The cultivar Flirtation was discovered and selected by the inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Massey, Auckland, New Zealand.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atMassey, Auckland, New Zealand, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of Flirtation. These characteristics incombination distinguish Flirtation as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Moderately vigorous and short growth habit.

3. Freely branching plant habit.

4. Small daisy-type inflorescences.

5. Soft pink ray florets.

6. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

7. Good garden performance.

The cultivar Flirtation has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

In side-by-side comparisons in Massey, Auckland, New Zealand, undercommercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more rayflorets, larger inflorescences, and flower 10 days earlier than thefemale parent, the Chrysanthemum cultivar Magic Dream. Additionally, theray floret color of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Magic Dream is darkpurple compared to the soft pink ray floret color of the newChrysanthemum. In the same comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemumdiffer from the probable male parents in ray floret color. The cultivarMagic Sunset has crimson ray florets, the cultivar Magic Dawn has lightyellow ray florets and the cultivar Magic Garden has yellow ray floretscompared to the soft pink ray floret color of the new Chrysanthemum.Additionally, plants of the cultivars Magic Sunset and Magic Dawn havefewer ray florets per inflorescence than plants of the newChrysanthemum.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are similar to the cultivar Megan (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 8,756) in ray floret color. However, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice,plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivarMegan in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are taller and have longer lateralstems than plants of the cultivar Megan.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more leaves per lateral stemthan plants of the cultivar Megan.

3. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are larger than leaves ofplants of the cultivar Megan.

4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are larger thaninflorescences of plants of the cultivar Megan.

5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are larger than rayflorets of plants of the cultivar Megan.

6. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer ray florets but more discflorets per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Megan.

7. Peduncles of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are longer and strongerthan peduncles of plants of the cultivar Megan.

8. The peduncle angle of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is more obtusethan the peduncle angle of plants of the cultivar Megan.

A detailed comparison of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and thecultivar Megan appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photographcomprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering 16.5-cmcontainer of Flirtation with three cutting in the container.

In the following description, color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif. undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with average nighttemperatures of 18C, average day temperatures of 30C, and light levelsof 2,000 (cloudy conditions) to 9,000 (sunny conditions) footcandles.

After sticking unrooted cuttings of the new cultivar, plants received 21long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering.Measurements and numerical values represent ranges or averages for sixtypical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Flirtation.

Commercial classification: Garden chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Magic Dream(not patented).

Male, or pollen, parent.--Either Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar MagicSunset, Magic Dawn or Magic Garden (all nonpatented).

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--9 to 11 days with soil temperatures of 21C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous decorative garden plant. Stemsupright, uniform habit and freely branching. Moderately vigorous andcompact growth habit.

Plant height.--About 23 cm.

Lateral branch length.--About 20 cm.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.--About 5.

Stem color.--147B.

Foliage description.--Number of leaves per lateral branch: About 16.Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leaf size, fully expanded: Length: About6.5 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Leaf apex: Acuminate. Leaf base: Attenuate.Leaf margin: Palmately lobed. Leaf texture: Upper and under surfacesslightly pubescent, smooth and dull. Veins prominent on under surface.Petiole length: About 1 cm. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A.Young foliage under surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage upper surface:147A. Fully expanded foliage under surface: 147B. Venation uppersurface: 147B. Venation under surface: 147B. Petiole: 147A.

Flowering description:

Appearance.--Daisy inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne on terminalsabove foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a flat capitulum.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plant flower in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to 2 to 3 weeks of long day/short night conditions aftersticking followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions,flower about 55 to 59 days later.

Quantity of Inflorescences.--About 5 inflorescences per flowering stem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Depth (height): About 1 cm.Diameter of disc: About 1.6 cm.

Ray Florets.--Shape: Short, broad. Size: Length: About 2.5 cm. Width:About 1.4 cm. Apex: Dentate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture:Satiny, smooth and glabrous. Aspect: Flat. Number of ray florets perinflorescence: About 32. Color: When opening, upper surface: 75A/75B.When opening, under surface: 75A. Mature, upper surface: 69A, fading tovery light pink with subsequent development. Mature, under surface:155D.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 130. Color:Immature: 154A. Mature: 13A.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Strong and angled about 40° to the stem. Length:About 9 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 147B.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 13A. Pollen: Moderate, 13A in color. Gynoecium: Present on bothray and disc florets. Style color: 154C.

Disease resistance: High tolerance to Brown Rust, Puccinia chrysanthemiRoze., has been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

    ______________________________________                                        CHART A                                                                       CHARACTERISTIC     FLIRTATION MEGAN                                           ______________________________________                                        PLANT HEIGHT       About 23 cm                                                                              About 20 cm                                     LATERAL STEM LENGTH                                                                              About 20 cm                                                                              About 16 cm                                     QUANTITY OF LEAVES PER                                                                           About 16   About 14.5                                      LATERAL STEM                                                                  LEAF LENGTH        About 6.5 cm                                                                             About 4.5 cm                                    LEAF WIDTH         About 3.8 cm                                                                             About 2.5 cm                                    INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER                                                                           About 5.5 cm                                                                             About 4 cm                                      INFLORESCENCE HEIGHT                                                                             About 1 cm About 0.8 cm                                    RAY FLORET LENGTH  About 2.5 cm                                                                             About 1.7 cm                                    RAY FLORET WIDTH   About 1.4 cm                                                                             About 0.5 cm                                    RAY FLORET COLOR,  75A/75B    75A/75B                                         WHEN OPENING, UPPER SIDE                                                      RAY FLORET COLOR, MATURE,                                                                        69A        69A                                             UPPER SIDE                                                                    RAY FLORET COLOR, MATURE,                                                                        155D       69C                                             UNDER SIDE                                                                    NUMBER OF RAY FLORETS PER                                                                        About 32   About 70                                        INFLORESCENCE                                                                 NUMBER OF DISC FLORETS PER                                                                       About 130  About 62                                        INFLORESCENCE                                                                 DIAMETER OF DISC   About 1.6 cm                                                                             About 0.9 cm                                    PEDUNCLE LENGTH    About 9 cm About 5 cm                                      PEDUNCLE STRENGTH  Strong     Weak                                            PEDUNCLE ANGLE TO STEM                                                                           About 40°                                                                         About 30°                                ______________________________________                                    

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed Flirtation, as illustrated and described.